"The condemnation was swift when the Agriculture Department announced two weeks ago that it had pulled from its website the animal welfare records from 9,000 research labs, dog breeders and other facilities. ... This week, the department was sued over its move, and federal lawmakers began pressing the Trump administration to again make the records public."
"The Department of Energy has taken down its public-facing employee directory, making it far more difficult for journalists and members of the public to locate email addresses and phone numbers for agency personnel."
"Nearly a month after the presidential inauguration — and after being subject to temporary media blackout shortly thereafter — the Environmental Protection Agency has remained silent on social media, even while other federal agencies have gone on communicating as usual. In fact, the agency has posted nothing on its official Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts since Jan. 19, the day before President Trump was sworn into office."
"An Oklahoma judge on Thursday ordered Scott Pruitt, the state’s attorney general and President Trump’s nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, to turn over thousands of emails related to his communication with the oil, gas and coal industry."
"Fearing an assault on science from the Trump administration, the Union of Concerned Scientists is creating a way for federal scientists to report abuses."
"President Trump signed legislation Tuesday to repeal a controversial regulation that would have required energy companies to disclose their payments to foreign governments."
Environmental journalists at a day-long event urged colleagues to report on the real, local impacts of policy, more than on the buzz around the policy. On hand at the SEJ-sponsored program were representatives of administrations past and present, including Trump EPA transition team head Myron Ebell (shown).
Videos:
Tracy Mehan lll, American Water Works Association
Myron Ebell, Competitive Enterprise Institute
Ed Maibach, George Mason University
Scott Segal, Policy Resolution Group and Bracewell LLP
Bob Perciasepe, Center for Climate & Energy Solutions
Environmental advocates
Journalists panel
The latest WatchDog TipSheet details an open-records case against U.S. EPA nominee Scott Pruitt (shown), the scoop on an Agriculture Department animal welfare database that vanished then returned, a reporter busted at Standing Rock, plus items on whistleblowers, coal-ash and more.
Senate votes on confirming Scott Pruitt to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency could come as soon as Thursday and Friday this week. Pruitt's office in Oklahoma has stonewalled open-records requests from environmentalists for his emails with energy companies -- and the first court hearing seeking to compel disclosure is scheduled for Thursday.
"U.S. EPA wants its employees to be mindful about what they say in their official capacity."
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